Page 45 of Hers to Keep

Mari touched Rio’s shoulder.“Can you move to the other side for me?”

He nodded and then dipped his head to kiss her softly before moving to the other side of Dante.As if he knew what she was planning, he held his hand out for Cisco.Their gargoyle would refuse him nothing and eased onto the bed to rest on his far side.

Mari met the fiery blue eyes and opened herself up to him so that she could feel his uncertainty.She patted the bed next to her.“Come here.”

Ashdei looked reluctant, but after an internal battle that she waited through in silence, he did as she commanded.He sat at the edge, within reach of her, but carefully not touching her.When she moved to take his hand, he gasped.His magic snapped into to her like a static discharge the instant their skin came into contact.

“I know why you’ve been avoiding touching me,” she said in a low voice.“You feel like you’re unstable.”She pulled him closer and rested his hand on her thigh.

His magic poured into her like liquid fire, filling the void that had taken up residence after the encounter with the Old One.She immediately felt so much better.Ashdei stared at his hand in horror, but she knew he could never burn her.She covered his hand with hers and then slowly slid it up his arm and shoulder until her fingers brushed over his jaw.He leaned into her palm, his eyes falling closed briefly.

“Your magic can’t hurt me.”

She watched him as he considered her words and then came to the decision to trust her.Satisfaction raced through her when he settled into her touch.She enjoyed the heat of his skin against her fingers as she pulled him closer, until his forehead rested on hers.

Every bit of contact that increased between them made her feel better, more whole.And not just in terms of recovery from the discharge.Something deeper in her knew that, in order to be complete, she had to possess him, the same way she had the others.

“What you need to regain control is me, not staying away.Can you feel that now?”

He nodded slowly against her.

Under her, Dohal didn’t move a muscle.His hand covered her belly protectively, but he hadn’t so much as lifted a finger, even though Ashdei was a raging inferno next to her.That trust made her heart race, made her feel powerful and bold.

She lifted her chin to brush Ashdei’s lips with a kiss.The heat should have been enough to scorch her, but it rushed through her in a searing blaze, branding every inch of her along the way.

Once she was filled with the blistering fire of his magic and felt like she could burn the world to cinders, he relaxed in her grip.

“See, that’s all you needed,” she said in a voice that rustled like flame.

The goddess was smug within.She understood now that the circle did indeed have to be closed, and she knew how to do it.“I’ll take the day to rest, and we’ll finish this tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Ashdei said, his hand smoothing over her thigh.

“One of us should be there with you,” Cisco grumbled.

She turned to look at her gargoyle.“It needs to be just the two of us when I claim him, as it was for all of you.”She smiled as gently as she could, because she knew trusting was the hardest for him.“Each of you has a piece of me that none of the others has, and the only way I can figure that out is if we’re alone and I can focus on him.”

Pain overtook Cisco’s handsome face.

Rio touched him softly, on his jaw and then his cheek.“He’d rip out his heart for her.I felt it when she fell.From all of us, but from him especially.”

“You trust him?”Cisco sounded incredulous.

“No.I trust Mari.Nothing has happened to make me change my mind about that.”

The conversation had given her an idea of how she could convince the stubborn gargoyle, by letting him feel what she did.“Cisco, come here.”

He hesitated for only a moment before he started moving closer while giving Ashdei a hateful look.She directed him to settle between her knees, though he looked uncomfortable with being so close to the demon.

Mari guided Cisco’s hands to her thighs and held them there.She met Ashdei’s gaze.“Touch me.”

The blue fire in his eyes blazed brighter.Without a word he slid his hand down her body and between her legs, his fingers parting her delicately.

“Kiss me again,” she said breathlessly, as she rolled her hips to entice him.

Ashdei leaned closer to capture her mouth, ignoring Cisco’s warning snarl.She tightened her hands around Cisco’s to hold him in place.Ashdei slipped his fingers up to stroke her clit, making her moan into his mouth as her magic soared.

He smiled against her lips.“Do you want me to stop?”

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